My friend, Scott Prucha, from Wisconsin wrote a good informational blog for Midwest Whitetail.  The following words are his.

Recently I attended a meeting with many of the Midwest Whitetail producers in preparation for this upcoming season’s State shows.  During some down time a couple of the guys went with me to check deercams on my farm.  I had placed the cameras over mineral stations.  The guys were amazed at the crater the deer had created and wanted to know what I used.   I thought it might be valuable information for others as well.

I am a big fan of using cameras over minerals for several different reasons.
1. It is cheap and easy.  I will share my recipe at the end of this blog.
2. It does not require frequent visits to the camera.  A mineral station that is set up in spring should only need to be freshened up once all season.  This is great if you can’t get to your cameras every week or so to replenish a bait pile.
3. Limited unwanted critter pictures. Mineral, unlike a bait pile of corn, produces fewer pictures of squirrels, raccoons, blue jays, turkeys, possum, etc.  I have enough doe pictures to delete I don’t need any extra critter photos. 
4. The minerals are beneficial to the deer.  From what I have read, the minerals not only benefit the buck’s antler growth but aid the does and fawns during the spring and summer.

I have found these mineral stations will remain very active right up to the rut.  I will often move my cameras at that time over a well used trail or a scrape, but cameras over mineral helped us pattern the buck in these photos.  We had over 500 pictures of this buck we named “The Pope” because of his Mass - get it?  Mass.  My friend Kurt Schroeder arrowed the buck during the 2008 season on November 16th several hundred yards away from where these photos were taken. You can see the show where I talked about patterning The Pope by watching Episode 24.

These ingredients will make 200 pounds for about $45.00.  You can usually find all these items at your local mill or co-op and they all come in 50 pound bags.

• One part Di-calcium phosphate, this is a dairy feed additive. One bag.
• Two parts of trace mineral salt, the red and loose kind without the medications.
You need two bags.
• One part stock salt or ice cream salt. You need one bag.

Use a large coffee can or similar container to measure each part of the mix. Combine the three components in a large container and mix well.  Only mix the amount you plan to use instead of mixing the entire 200 lbs.  It is better to store the components separately.  I use approximately a gallon or two of the mix for each site.  Till up a circular hole two feet wide and a couple of inches deep.  Loosen the soil in the circle and dump in your mineral mix.  I stomp it into the soil as much as I can.  I usually start or replenish existing sites during the spring turkey season and then replenish it about six months later.

Check your local game laws to be sure mineral stations are legal in your area.  If so, get those minerals out there and hang a camera.  I prefer a digital with an infrared flash.  They will usually have a much longer battery life and don’t seem to spook the deer as much.   Viewing the photos of the deer in your hunting area will keep your blood pumping until the hunting season begins. Good luck!